After 12 months of fundraising Knutsford Town Mayor Cllr Barbara Coan presented her chosen charities Knutsford and District Lions Club and Cheshire Search and Rescue with £4,626.80 each in the last week of her Mayoral year.

Cllr Barbara Coan has organised a number of events to raise £9,253.60 for her chosen good causes beating the previous record of £6080. Events held included a meal at Don Giovanni’s, collections at the Artisan Market and Christmas Lights Switch on, a raffle at the Town Council Christmas Markets, a May Day Meal at the Rose N’ Crown Chop House and of course the highlight of the Mayoral year the Civic Ball at La Belle Époque which this year raised a record £5000, and at which an additional donation of £10,000 was made from Monckton Properties directly to Cheshire Search & Rescue.

Cllr Barbara Coan with representatives of the Knutsford Lions

Town Mayor Cllr Barbara Coan said “I am hugely thankful to the generous residents, businesses and visitors to Knutsford without whom I couldn’t have raised such an amazing amount of money for my charities. I would also like to thank the Councillors, Town Clerk Adam Keppel-Garner and my previous and current PA’s Helen Dytham and Lisa Benskin for their steadfast support throughout the year in my role as Mayor and for their invaluable assistance with the organisation of the Civic and fundraising events this year. Being a Knutsfordian through and through it has been a tremendous honour to be able to represent the Town as Mayor at the events I have attended, and I am overwhelmed that we have managed to raise so much money for my charities as a result of the community working together, which was one of my aims at the start of my Mayoral year. I am delighted that this has been the case.”

During the Mayoral year the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors have represented the Town at over 120 events.

Frances Miller President of the Knutsford & District Lions Club added “we are most grateful to the Town Mayor, Cllr Barbara Coan, for all her fundraising efforts throughout her Mayoral year, supporting both our club and Cheshire Search & Rescue. She has been very generous in her support for her two chosen charities and Knutsford & District Lions Club would like to convey its thanks and appreciation for the funds raised from these events. Monies will be invested in serving the local community and meeting the needs of individual hardship, providing a Christmas Day lunch for those on their own and staging the annual Lions Senior Citizens’ Variety Show.

Robert Davies MBE, Chairman of Cheshire Search and Rescue said “On behalf of Cheshire Search and Rescue Team I would like to say a big thank you to the Mayor of Knutsford and everyone involved in the fundraising events this Mayoral year. As a voluntary organisation, the team can only exist to support the community of Cheshire when people in the area commit to help us raise the necessary funds. Attending events such as those organised by the Mayor provide a great opportunity to promote our work and talk to people about why Cheshire needs a Search and Rescue team and exactly what it is we do. The funds raised from these events will be used to help keep the team mobile and able to respond quickly, for new equipment and training to enhance our water rescue capability and medical equipment all of which are vital to our operational capability.”

The Town Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Keppel-Garner as Town Clerk.

Adam joined the Town Council as Deputy Clerk in September 2012 and has been Acting Town Clerk since August.

Upon his appointment Adam said, he said was looking forward to working with town councillors over the coming years to help realise the ambitions set out in the recently-adopted 2020 Vision.

“It’s been a time of change at the council as we have had our first assets transferred back to council ownership, and as the markets and allotments transfer I look forward to helping improve and develop these facilities for the town,” he said.

“One of my aims will be helping to define the role of the town council so that all Knutsfordians know what the council does and how it can be a pillar of support to all the organisations.”

“I will be working with the councillors to develop greater community engagement and effective consultations when necessary.”

“Knutsford is such a fantastic town with a great community, excellent town centre and rich heritage. It is a pleasure to be able to work here, helping to make it an even better place to live, work and visit.”

The annual Christmas window competition was judged this week by the Town Mayor Cllr Barbara Coan and Deputy Mayor Cllr Neil Forbes.

Once again the two judges had a difficult time deciding on the winner due to the number of fantastic displays Knutsford businesses had created. “It took Cllr Forbes and me a long time to agree on the three winners for this year’s competition. We both created a shortlist of 5 windows to try and help make the decision easier, but they both featured 5 different shops!” said Cllr Barbara Coan.

The winner for this year was Wendy Diddams, whose window featured the entries to their annual Christmas Decorations competition and was praised by the judges for involving the community and featuring their product with the characters in the windows all wearing glasses.

As she was passed the certificate and cup winner Wendy said “I am very surprised and pleased – it’s lovely for us and the children that were involved. I’m thrilled”

Second place went to Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe and the Cha Bar came in a close third. “The effort that our traders go to really helps make Knutsford such a special place at Christmas. It is great to see that yet again they have done our Town proud and creating some fantastic displays” Barbara continued.

The winner of the best Charity Shop category went to the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust shop on Canute Place.

Knutsford Town Council was flushed with success on Friday 6th when the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Neil Forbes attended the UK Loo of the Year Awards which saw Knutsford’s public toilets achieving Gold.

The Town Council announced the completion of the refurbishment works to the two toilet blocks at King St and Bexton Road in November. The toilets, which transferred to the Town Council in July, have now been completely refurbished by leading UK toilet company DANFO in partnership with the Town Council.

Cllr Forbes said “I’m pleased we have been able to save these facilities from closure for our residents and many visitors at the same time as improving their quality and keeping the overall cost to council tax payers low.”

Now under Town Council control the two blocks benefit from increased opening hours – now 6am to midnight every day. The toilet blocks both comprise of three toilets, unisex accessible, unisex & female and cost 20p to use which offsets the cost of maintenance and refurbishment.

Town Mayor Barbara Coan said “These are the first set of assets to be transferred back to the Town Council under the drive for localism. For the first time in a long time the town council have direct control over the standards and quality of what is provided for Knutsfordians”.

The first asset transfer from Cheshire East to Knutsford Town Council has completed today. The public toilets at Bexton Road and King Street are now owned by the Town Council,and will undergo complete refurbishment by Danfo, the leading public toilet provider in the UK, who will operate the toilets for the Town Council.

The toilets at Bexton Road are the first to undergo renovation, which is set to start today with a completion target of September. Once Bexton Road toilets are operational, the refurbishment at King Street will begin.

The new toilet facilities, which at both sites will include an accessible toilet and baby changing facilities, will cost 20p to use.

Cllr Neil Forbes, lead member for the toilet transfer at Knutsford Town Council said “I’m pleased the town will soon have facilities for our residents and visitors to be proud of.”

The Council hopes that the renovated toilets will end the years of complaints the current toilet facilities receive.

Town Mayor, Cllr Barbara Coan said “These are the first set of assets to be transferred back to the Town Council under the drive for localism. More are to follow e.g. the market. For the first time in a long time the town council will have direct control over the standards and quality of what is provided for Knutsfordians ”

On Monday May 13th Knutsford Town Council elected a new Town Mayor to serve for the 2013/14 civic year. Cllr Barbara Coan was elected as the 40th Knutsford Town Mayor, along with Cllr Neil Forbes as the new Deputy Mayor.

Following her election, Cllr Coan gave a short speech where she looked forward to the year ahead. “I am very proud of Knutsford, and I will encourage and promote our beautiful town whenever possible. I pledge to you now that during my period as Mayor I will, with your help, rebuild Civic Pride and respect for our town and its Council. I will encourage improved communications, and encourage the town to flourish.”

Cllr Coan continued by introducing the new Civic Awards scheme where individuals, business and community groups will be up for awards in recognition of their contributions to the community of Knutsford.

Speaking of the Town Council, Cllr Coan continued “We are here to listen and represent you. We want to hear your thoughts and views, and to encourage the businesses and community to promote the fact that Knutsford has so much to offer. Together we can improve where we live, work and socialise. Together we can have a town to be proud of.”

Each year the Town Mayor choses local charities to support across their civic year, Cllr Coan chose the Knutsford Lions, who carry out a vast amount of work supporting the community, and helping with Town Events; and Cheshire Search and Rescue, which was formed in 2004 following the disappearance of a teenage girl, and who have recently relocated into the Knutsford Town Centre.

Speaking of being elected Barbara said “I can think of no higher honour than to be elected Mayor of the town I was born in, the town which made me”

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